Bird Brain

Dirtybird honcho Claude VonStroke follows up his 2006 debut album with an even more inspired collection of unconventional club music. His skills honed by years in the DJ booth, his grooves are more immediate than ever. He's not content to put an American spin on a European sound, so he flips Berlin minimal techno on its head, exposing a soft, squishy underbelly with "deep house" written all over it in crayon and lipstick. Irresistible hooks and R&B swing help give his tracks a distinct character, and the album's stylistic range makes it stand out against more plodding 4/4 longplayers.